Fluid coupling



April 1943- e. R. PENNINGTON 2,317,217

FLUID COUPLING Original Filed May 12, 1941 INVENTOR Patented Apr. 20,1943 FLUID COUPLING Gordon R. Pennington, Bloomfield Hills, Mich,assignor to Chrysler Corporation, Highland Park, Mich., a corporation ofDelaware Original application May 12, 1941, Serial No.

Divided and this application October 20, 1941, Serial No. 415,711

1 Claim.

This invention relates to fluid drive-transmission and refers moreparticularly to improvem nt in fluid coupling structures.

This application is a division of my copending application Serial No.393,057 filed May 12, 1941.

An object of my invention is to provide a coupling structure having itsvanes under constant stress, preferably compressive between theirsupports.

Further objects and advantages of my inventiontion will be more apparentas this specification progresses, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing in which:'

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevational view of a power transmitting system,parts being broken away to illustrate the fluid coupling.

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevational view of apparatus for the assembly ofthe coupling structure and illustrating the initial steps in thefabrication of such structure,

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional plan view taken as indicated by line 33 ofFig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view of a portion of the Fig. 2 apparatus shown in anotherposition and illustrating further step in the fabrication method.

Fig, 5 is a diagrammatic sectional elevational view illustrating thehydrogen brazing apparatus,

Referring to the drawing, I have illustrated a portion of a motorvehicle drive system generally similar to that forming the subject ofthe copending application of Carl Breer and myself, Serial No. 390,302,filed April 25, 1941, wherein engine A transmits its drive through fluidcoupling B and thence through transmission C to the usual propellershaft Ill. As more particularly set forth in said copending application,the coupling B is of the multi-sta'ge type having axial relativelyrotatable vaned impeller structure H and vaned primary and secondaryrunnor structures l2 and I 3,respectively. At times the runner [2 drivestransmission C through torque multiplying gearing I4 and at other timesduring normal cruising the structures ll, I2 and I3 rotate in unisonexcept for a small amount of slip inherent in such devices.

The runner I2 is of the type in which its vanes l define passagestherebetween which are open axially in opposite directions towardstructures H and I3. With such runners there is consid crable difficultyin fabricating the vanes and in assembling the same with the outer andinner vane-connected vane-carriers or annuli I6 and 17, respectively,especially in making a resulting radial inward compression on the vanes.

assembly which has the desired rigidity to maintain its form and balanceduring operation,

Referring to Fig. 2, I provide an assembly apparatus comprising a mainfixed support table D having a fixtur l8 shouldered at I9 to locate thehub thereon, this hub carrying the inner annulus l1. Carried by thetable, either integrally or by separate fixture, are the upstandingfingers 2| spaced circumferentially around the table to receive theouter end portions 22 of vanes [5 in the desired relatively spacedpositions. The inner end portions 23 are preferably warped relative toportions 22 and terminate in contact with annulus H.

In the initial fabrication, the operator places hub 20 in the Fig. 2position and inserts vanes l5 between the spaces of fingers 2| as inFig. 3, the vanes being supported horizontally by the upper face oftableD. Then clamp ring E is applied downwardly, this ring being formedin a plurality of segments connected by circumferential clearance, as at24 Fig. 3, with the component parts contracted radially by annulartension springs 25. The inner face of ring E adjacent its bottom edge iscut-back cr bevelled at 26 so that it will not jam with the vanes l5 andto assist in guiding the ringinto position exerting The arrangement issuch that predetermined pressure is applied to each vane, as from 5 to15 pounds as desired.

The ring E is forced down by any suitable power device, such as th ramE, preferably acting through the outer annulus l6 which seats in anannular locating shoulder 27 of ring E. The ring I6 has its inner bottomedge bevelled at 28 for functioning in a manner similar to the bevel 26.This ring [6 is preferably of slightly less diameterthan ring E when thelatter is in the Fig. 2 position so that ring lfi exerts a furtherradial compression on vanes l5 when ring [6 is forced downward into itsfinal position of Fig. 4. At this time the ring E is pushed down free ofthe vanes I5 and the assembled runner i2 is now ready for removal fromtable D.

'For releasing the runner l2 I have provided a fluid pressure operatedpiston F having the upstanding annular flange 29 which, when oilpressure is admitted to chamber 30 under control of valve 3|, movesupwardly to act against ring [1 and vanes l5 to move the assembledrunner l2 clear of table D as indicated at-lZ' in Fig. 4.

To restore piston F ready for the assembly of another runnner, valve 3|is closed and the relief va ve 32 is opened to allow the pressure fluidin chamber 30 to escape. Any fluid escaping upwardly beyond piston Fdrains off at passage 33.

The ring E and springs 25 are arranged so that on assembly of this ringas in Fig. 2, all slack in the vanes I5 is taken up and a predeterminedradial compression of the order of 5 to 15 pounds by way of example isput on each vane. When the ring I6 is assembled, an additional radialpressure is imposed on the vanes sufiicient to compensate for anyproduction variations and to insure engagement of all vanes with ringl6. From two to eight thousandths of an inch on the inside diameter ofring 16 less than the diameter of ring E when in the Fig. 2 positionshould ordinarily be adequate. The rings E and I5 therefore exertprogressive or stage pressures on vanes l5 and in the final assembly ofthe runner l2 the vanes l5 are under compression. The warped vaneportions 23, apart from improving the efficiency of the coupling as setforth in said copending application, serve to impart rigidity to thevanes.

After removal of the assembled runner from table D, the assemblies arepreferably hydrogen brazed or welded according to well known commercialmethods. In Fig 5 I have diagrammatically illustrated the runners l2travelling slowly on the continuous belt 34 While subjected to the usualhot atmosphere of hydrogen at 35 for causing the vanes IE to luse withrings [6 and H by reason of copper previously applied at these points.This process is well known and need not be set forth in detail herein.

' If desired, the ring [1 may be forced into position instead of ring I6by the same assembly steps, in which case the ring 16 will, of course,be first installed on table D and rings E and I! will be arranged to actexpansively as will be obvious.

Because of the relatively high temperature ordinarily used forcommercial hydrogen brazing, around 2100? F. where copper flux isemployed, the compressive stress applied to vanes I5 to hold them inposition for the brazing process will largely disappear when the brazedassembly is allowed to cool but sufficient compressive stress willremain in the final assembly to supplement the brazed attachment of thevanes to the rings l2 and I1 so as to assist in holding the vanes andrings against relative displacement. The extent of final or residualstress in the vanes may, of course, be varied to some extent by theamount of initial stress applied to the vanes.

I claim:

A rotatable fluid power-transmitting. structure comprising a pair ofannuli spaced one within the other concentrically with the axis ofrotation of said structure, a plurality of vanes extending outwardlyfrom theinner annulus to the outer annulus, the inner and outer ends ofthe vanes being connected respectively to the inner and outer annuli,said vanes being relatively circumferentially spaced to form fluidpassages therebetween extending through said structure in the generaldirection of its axis and also continuously between said annuli, theother annulus acting to stress the vanes inwardly toward the innerannulus, each of said vanes having an outer planar fluid passage-formingportion lying in a plane perpendicular to said axis and an inner fluidpassage-forming portion contiguous to its said outer planar portion, thesaid inner portion of each of said vanes being warped relative to theouter planar portion so as to impart rigidity to said structureincluding resistance to deflection of said vanes under said stress.

GORDON R. PENNINGTON.

